


Buy a mirror, Bruce!

by asamandra



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Bruce Banner is hot, F/M, M/M, Prompt Fill, avengerkink, he doesn't know it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-26
Updated: 2015-02-07
Packaged: 2018-03-09 04:24:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3236144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamandra/pseuds/asamandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Bruce Banner realized too late that he's really hot and one time he gets it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jenny Taylor

Thursday morning. Bruce loved Thursday mornings. Since the CPS dumped him at his aunt's house four weeks ago he started to love Thursday mornings. Why? Because of his new high school's focus on science classes. And Thursday morning meant chemistry. He loved chemistry. And their teacher was a genius in Bruce's opinion. 

When he entered the classroom he found his lab partner Kayla Thompson, a geeky girl with braces and huge glasses, already sitting at their table, reading in her chemistry book. Bruce wasn't sure if she had a life outside of school – she always read one or another school book – but she was the best lab partner he ever had. 

“Hey,” he greeted her and Kayla closed her book and smiled.

“Morning,” she said. “Did you know that...” she started immediately but got interrupted when another girl came over to them. She was probably the most pretty girl at this school, long, blond hair, blue eyes, sinful lips and curves, Bruce didn't want to think about her curves. 

“Hi,” she said smilingly and looked only at Bruce, ignored Kayla's presence completely. “You're Bruce, right?” 

“Uhm... hi.... uhm... yes, I... I'm Bruce...” he stammered. She was gorgeous and usually gorgeous girls don't speak with the geeks.

“I've heard you're pretty good at chemistry?” She asked and Bruce felt the heat rise in his cheeks. She smiled again at him.

“Yeah...” he had to clear his throat. “Yeah... uhm... I think...” 

“There's this test in two weeks and I could need some help with this stuff. You interested?” The blonde asked and Bruce had to swallow. Of course, she only wants someone to help her with chemistry. 

“Sorry,” Bruce huffed frustrated. “I don't have time. I need to catch up on the subject matter myself and... if you need help, maybe Kayla can help you. She's pretty good, too,” he pressed through his teeth. The blonde scrutinized him for a long moment, then nodded, turned and left without another comment. 

“Seriously?” Kayla blurted as soon as he collapsed into his chair. He looked at her, his brows furrowed when he saw her expression. 

“What? It's true. I'm still not up to date with all the stuff, my previous school...” he tried to explain but Kayla interrupted him, her eyes still wide as saucers. 

“That was Jenny Taylor. You just turned Jenny Taylor down!” Kayla stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. 

“I don't know who Jenny Taylor...” he started and then it hit him. “I did what?” 

“Jenny Taylor, best pupil in nearly all classes, cheerleader and the most popular girl at this school and you turned her down,” Kayla explained and Bruce's mouth fell open. He turned around to look in Jenny's direction but she and her friends glared angrily at him. He blushed again. 

“I... I didn't... I thought...” 

“She's kidding? Dude, that's her thing. She invites all the hot guys to study together. And you turned her down. Whew, this is one for the books, believe me.” Kayla smirked and Bruce blushed even more. 

“You think... you mean... she invited me because I'm... I'm hot?” He asked then and Kayla only shook her head. Why would she think he was hot? He was too lanky, too thin, had too curly hair and he needed glasses to read. He wasn't hot, right?

“Buy a mirror, Bruce.”


	2. Brian Doyle

Bruce sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and closed the books on his desk. With a yawn he looked at his watch and sighed again. He shouldn't have agreed to go to the party. But he had promised to come and Bruce usually kept his promises. He yawned again and walked over to his closet to search for some clothes. 

The party was just in another dorm but he still wanted to look good. Well, as good as possible. He grabbed some black slacks, a purple button down and his black dress shoes. He looked into the mirror and glared at his reflection, opened one button, glared once more and closed the button again. And then he scrutinized his reflection for a very long moment, combed his unruly hair, cleaned his glasses and put them back on, looked into the mirror and sighed again. 

“Fuck,” he muttered, removed his shoes and flopped onto his bed. He wouldn't go, period. But then someone knocked at his door. 

“Bruce?” He heard the voice of Barrett, the guy who invited him, and sighed once more. “I know that you're in there. Come on, get out of your hole and try to live a bit.” 

“Go away, Barrett. That's a bad idea and I stay here,” he said and Barrett laughed. But then he opened his door and strolled in. 

“No fucking way, Banner. You started three months ago and you did nothing but study since then. Today we're going to that party and we're going to have fun. Rosa is there and I'm pretty sure we find someone for you, too. And now get up!” He grabbed Bruce's hand and pulled him up. Bruce sighed.

“I really don't want to go. I'm tired and...” 

“Bruce!” Barrett turned to him with his raised finger. “Fun. No study. Understood?” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Bruce muttered, put on his shoes and followed him out of his room, out of his dorm and over to the other building. And of course it was overcrowded. The music was too loud, the people too drunk and Barrett left him at the _bar_ because Rosa wanted to dance. The guy behind the bar thrust a red plastic cup with an undefinable something into his hand without asking him. Bruce sniffed at the drink, it smelled sweet, and he shrugged and took a sip. It was sweet and strong and with a sigh he took another sip.

“Hi,” someone yelled into his ear – the music was really fucking loud – and he turned around. A guy, tall, dark haired and with a goatee, smiled at him. He was really cute. “You just here to mope into your drink?” He asked with a wink.

“No,” Bruce admitted and put the cup onto the bar. The guy looked him over and his smile broadened. 

“I'm Brian,” he said and held out his hand for Bruce to shake it. Of course Bruce knew who he was. Brian Doyle, power forward in the college basketball team and crush boy of nearly all of the girls even though they knew that he was gay. 

“Bruce,” he said and shook his hand. It was warm and calloused and he liked it. A lot. 

“So, uhm... I wondered if you want to continue to mope or if you maybe want to dance?” Brian asked, again with that disarming smile. Bruce had expected a lot of things but not Brian Doyle asking _him_ if he wanted to dance. 

“What?” he blurted, his eyes wide like saucers. And then he saw something shift in Brian's face. 

“Sorry, I...” he scratched the back of his head. “I've thought you... sorry,” he said again. “Guess I misread...” he gestured vaguely in his direction before he turned around and off he went. 

“Wait! Brian, wait...” he yelled but because of the fucking loud music he didn't hear him. “Fuck!” he cursed when someone put a hand on his shoulder.

“What's wrong, buddy? You look as though you'd seen a ghost,” Barrett stood behind him with Rosa in his arm. 

“Brian... Brian Doyle just asked me if I wanted to dance with him,” he said disbelievingly. 

“And you turned him down?” Rosa asked and her eyes hit her hairline.

“What? No... I... I just thought... why would he ask me?” Bruce said and wiped his face. 

Rosa shrugged. “Maybe because you're hot?” 

“I... what?” Bruce asked, mouth agape. “I'm not...” 

“You own a mirror, right? Maybe you should look into it sometimes. And now go and catch your star player.” She smirked and both pushed him in the direction where Brian had just _ran away_.


	3. Betty Ross

In his last year at Culver University as a postgraduate student he met Betty Ross. They worked together on a project with gamma radiation with some other postgraduates and their doctorate supervisor. It was one of the most interesting projects Bruce ever worked on and the fact that Betty Ross was really hot was a nice bonus in his opinion. Unfortunately she never talked to him outside of their work.

Today they had an important breakthrough and Dr. Solano decided they should go out to celebrate. He invited them and no one of the team refused. Hello? Drinks on the doctor? Of course no one refused.

There was this bar slash club not far away from the campus and it was always crowded with students and even some of the professors went there regularly. The music was good, the drinks not too expensive and their blooming onion with green salsa was really awesome. 

Dr. Solano ordered drinks for all of them and they clinked their glasses. Everyone was in a good mood. The progress they made today was really important and Dr. Solano was happy and ordered the next round. 

Bruce leaned against one of the pillars in the club and talked to Cosmo (his real name was Carl but he hated it) but his eyes always kept wandering back to Betty. She looked great in her black dress and the high heels, classy, like a lady, maybe a little overdressed for this kind of location but Betty was always dressed up to the nines when she wasn't in the labs. 

“Hellooo? Ground control to Bruce? You still with me?” Cosmo waved his hand in front of Bruce's face and his head snapped around.

“What?” He asked and the other boy chuckled. 

“You've been really out of it,” Cosmo said and Bruce felt the heat rise in his cheeks. “Why don't you ask her out?” 

“What? Betty? No, she's way out of my league,” he said and Cosmo raised his brow and nodded slowly. 

“Uh-huh, if you say so,” he said and took a sip from his mojito. “Anyway, as I was going to say...” he started but he got interrupted when a hand landed on his shoulder. 

“Mike wants to talk to you,” Betty said and Cosmo looked from her to Bruce and back before he nodded and left. 

“Uhm... hi,” Bruce managed but he was sure the smile he forced onto his face wasn't more than a grimace. 

“You were staring at me,” Betty stated. Bruce blushed even more. 

“No... well, maybe... I... sorry?” 

“What are you going to do on Saturday?” She asked, ignoring his half-baked apology.

“Uhm... what?” 

“Saturday. What are you going to do?” Betty repeated with an amused streak around her lips. 

“Uhm... nothing. I guess... Why?” Bruce managed. 

“Okay, pick me up at eight, we're going out,” she stated Bruce could only stare at her, mouth agape.

“What?” He was a genius but right now he felt like the biggest idiot on earth, unable to make conversation with a pretty woman. 

“We're going out. I'm sick to wait till you make your move. You pick me up and we're going out,” Betty smiled now and Bruce shook his head disbelievingly.

“Why... why do you ask me?” 

“I like you,” Betty stated and shrugged. “And you're hot.” 

“I... what?” Bruce blurted and he knew that he sounded like an idiot, but apparently his brain to mouth filter didn't work around Betty.

“There's this fantastic new invention. It's called mirror. You should buy one,” she said, leaned in and kissed his cheek. “See you Saturday, eight o'clock.”


	4. Esperanza Carvalho

Fifty days and no incident. Bruce sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose but when the dog he had _adopted_ nudged his elbow with his nose he turned around in his bed, yawned and glared at him.

“It's too early,” he said to the animal but the dog just panted and sat down. He cocked his head, licked his snout and started to pant again, still looking at Bruce. “Greedy beast,” he muttered but climbed out of the bed, looked at the alarm clock – thirty minutes till it would go off, an hour till he had to be at the factory – and stretched his arms over his head. But then he shuffled over to the _fridge_ to look if there was something he could give him. It was empty, save for mustard and a bell pepper. 

“We don't have anything,” Bruce muttered and looked down at the dog who sat beside him and stared at him, waiting for food. “There's nothing in,” he said but the dog only moved his ass a bit and waged his tail, still panting. 

Bruce sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded. “Okay. Fine.” He mumbled, stripped out of his sleeping pants and put on a t-shirt and a jeans. He looked into his wallet and sighed again. About forty-two Real and still a week to go till he got his next paycheck. 

He looked at the dog accusingly. “You're eating me out of house and home,” he muttered and the dog started to pant happily. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're going to get something for you,” he said when the dog rose and waged his tail even more. 

He slipped into his sneakers, put on a baseball cap and opened his door. When he left his _place_ he looked around carefully, without attracting attention. With the dog at his side he started to jog down the hill where he lived to the grocery store not far away. 

“Sit,” he said to the dog and after a long moment the animal sat down. “Wait here,” he mumbled and ignored the strange glances from the old man sitting on a chair in front of his _house_ opposite of the store. 

He opened the door and saw Esperanza sitting behind the checkout counter. Esperanza Carvalho, a young, gorgeous woman with the bluest eyes he had ever seen before. She smiled when she spotted him and waved in his direction.

Bruce felt the heat rise in his cheeks. She always smiled when he came into her store. He grabbed a basket and hurried through the lines, grabbed the few things he needed, always sum up the prizes of the items. When he had everything he could afford he went to the checkout.

“Oi, tudo bem, Bruce?” Esperanza smiled lascivious and looked up at him through her incredible long lashes.

“Fine, Ms. Carvalho,” Bruce said and blushed when she flashed another one of her gorgeous smiles at him. 

“Esperanza,” she said, for the umpteenth time. She always wanted him to call her with her first name. “Lots of food for the dog, not much food for you,” she stated with her heavy Portuguese accent. 

“Yeah, no. I... I don't need much at the moment,” he said. She didn't need to know that he had to buy a new CPU cooler for his old laptop or he wouldn't be able to chat with Mr. Blue anymore and he needed him to help him with his problem. So, no food for Bruce but food for the dog. 

“You need to eat, too,” she stated, looked him over and put his groceries into a bag. 

“I...” he started but Esperanza stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

“You come to my house, I'll cook for you.” she stated, grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something on it.

“What? No, I... I can't...” Bruce tried to talk her out of it but Esperanza ignored his objections. 

“You need to eat, you are too thin,” Esperanza said and gave him the paper. It was her address. 

“But...” Bruce looked at her and she smiled once more. 

“I'd like to cook for you. My Feijoada is delicious. And by the way, you are a good looking man, Bruce,” she winked. 

“You... you think...” 

“I have a mirror over there,” she pointed at the spot beside the door where he saw a dirty, half-cloudy mirror. “You can take a look if you don't believe me.” 

“No, I...” Bruce said and swallowed when Esperanza smiled again. 

“I'll see you this afternoon, Bruce. Falou!” 

“Okay,” Bruce nodded, smiled, nodded again, looked at the paper and nearly ran into the door. “Falou!” He mumbled when he left the store with the broadest grin possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've used a translator for the Portuguese parts. If they are wrong, please let me know! 
> 
>  
> 
> Oi, tudo bem? - Hello, how are you?  
> Falou! - Bye!


	5. Prerana Shridhar

“Doctor, doctor! Please, come,” a teenage boy called on his way to Bruce's hut. And then a barrage of Hindi words followed. Bruce had learned the language but he wasn't fluent yet and understood only a third of what he said. “Doctor, please! Help!” 

“Yes, yes, I've heard you,” Bruce said and left his _house_ with his bag already in his hand. “What's wrong?” He asked when the young man stopped slithering in front of him.

“Doctor, my sister, she sick,” he said and gestured with his hands in a direction behind him. 

“Okay, bring me to her,” he said and the boy wanted to run. Bruce grabbed his arm and held him. “But not so fast.” 

The young man nodded and hurried away, not so fast as before. Bruce followed him through the overcrowded streets of Jaipur and to a small house where an older woman waited for them, her face tear stained, and wrung her hands. 

“Doctor,” she said and sounded relieved. She greeted him with her folded hands, “Namaste.” But then she started to explain why they had called him, also way too fast for him to grasp.

“Slowly, I'm still learning the language,” he said and the woman nodded and repeated what she had said but it was difficult to understand. She didn't speak much English and he not enough Hindi to understand everything. What he understood was, that her daughter had a fever, shaking chills and a rash, she coughed and spit blood. Bruce was confused. Too many symptoms that didn't fit together. 

He nodded when the woman finally stopped. _**Bring me to her**_ he said in Hindi and she smiled and thanked him and hurried into her house. She led him to a small room where he found the girl in her bed, violently coughing. The older woman stepped back and let Bruce go to her daughter. He knelt down beside the bed and started to examine her while he questioned her mother and her brother, as far as possible. It didn't take long and he knew the problem. The girl had pneumonia and the rash looked like a mild allergic reaction. Her brother said, that another doctor gave her a herbal tea and apparently she was allergic to it.

He turned around to tell her mother that she needed antibiotics but the woman didn't understand what he wanted from her. The boy beside her seemed as confused but then his mother told him to call Prerana. Bruce turned back to the girl and wiped her forehead with a wet cloth. Her mother had brought a bowl with cold water while he had examined her. 

“Doctor?” He heard another voice a moment later and turned around again... to look at one of the prettiest women he had ever met. 

“Y-yes... uhm... that's... that's me... uhm... Bruce... Banner. Bruce Banner and you are...” he said and then he wanted to slap the back of his own head in the same moment. Why was he always so clumsy around hot people?

“Prerana Shridar. Yes. What is wrong with my sister,” she asked and cocked her head. Her English was flawless and Bruce furrowed his brows. When she saw the tiny slip she laughed, held her hand over her mouth but Bruce saw that she was even more beautiful right now. “I've studied psychology in Berkeley,” she said and Bruce could only nod.

“Yeah, of course,” he mumbled and stared at her for another long moment but then he cleared his throat when she raised her brow. “Uhm... she... she has a pneumonia. She needs antibiotics. I have some here,” he searched in his bag and handed her a bottle with a few pills. “But she needs more. And you need to get a salve for the rash. You have to... you've studied psychology in Berkeley. Why didn't you call a doctor sooner?” 

“Because I arrived here just this morning. I live in Calcutta and I'm here to visit my family. And then because my mother doesn't believe in Western medicine,” she explained with a smile. 

“And why...” he started but she interrupted him. Apparently she was a really good psychologist.

“Because you are not a _real_ doctor, you are... well... acceptable in her opinion,” she shrugged. 

“How does she know...” Bruce frowned and Prerana chuckled.

“Google, you know. We do know the internet in India.” Again that disarming smile. 

Bruce blinked a few times but then he nodded. “Okay. She needs the antibiotics nevertheless. Will her mother give it to her?” 

“Of course she will if I tell her.” 

“Right. Well, then...” Bruce rose and grabbed his bag after a last look at the little girl. “I...” 

“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Prerana asked. 

“What?” 

“I'm pretty sure my mother wants you to stay for dinner to thank you for helping Leelawati. And I would like to get to know you, you know,” she smiled once more and Bruce felt his mouth go dry. 

“Why... I mean...” 

“Because I think you are an interesting man, _doctor_ ,” she said and then her smile broadened. “And a good looking one, too.” 

“I... I... what?” Bruce was confused. Prerana was gorgeous, she could be a model or an actress and he was... well... hairy and curly. 

“Maybe some time you should look into a mirror. And now, come with me, my mother would love if you stay for dinner. Doctor.”


	6. Tony Stark

“So, and that's it. _Candyland!_ ” Tony said proudly and turned around, a broad smile on his face and Bruce could only agree. He had never seen a lab like this. Whatever lab utensil his imagination could come up with, it was here. 

“Yeah, I guess you're right,” he managed and looked around, walked along the steel tables and shelves and couldn't get the smile off of his face. “Wow, that's... You didn't promise too much.”

“Told you so,” Tony grinned and followed him. “You... you can stay as long as you want, you know. There's enough space here in the tower. Well, I guess I need to renovate a little bit, but... you know.” 

“Yeah, there's this Loki-shaped dent in your floor, I've heard,” Bruce couldn't hold back and Tony started to laugh. He threw his head back a a bit and his eyes sparkled when he patted his shoulders. 

“Don't worry, I guess I'll keep it. It looks good.” Tony winked and Bruce blushed. 

“Sorry,” he said then and Tony waved his hand.

“I mean it that I keep it. I like it,” he said and the way he looked at Bruce let him blush even more. But when he turned and concentrated his attention on him, Bruce, his really intense gaze, Bruce felt his mouth go dry in a way he never felt before. And he realized, he wanted Tony.

“So?” He asked and Bruce swallowed a few times.

“I guess I can stay for a while,” he said and when Tony's eyes lit up he couldn't hold back a smile. 

“Great!” Tony patted his shoulder. “I'll show you to your floor.” 

“Wait, what?” Bruce blurted and Tony winked. 

“I've had a feeling that I can convince you to stay and...” Tony started but Bruce shook his head.

“My... _my_ floor? My _floor_?” Did he really say 'floor'? Tony furrowed his brow and pursed his lips.

“Not enough space? Your own labs are down here but I think I can...” 

“No, Tony, wait. A whole floor? Just for me?” 

Tony didn't answer, he just shrugged, and Bruce saw the tips of his ears turn red. But when Bruce made a step in his direction he swallowed, his adam's apple bobbed up a few times. He wasn't entirely sure if he read the signals correctly but...

“I'll show you. If you want,” Tony said, his voice lower now and his eyes clouded with... desire? Bruce made another step in his direction and Tony put his hands onto the edge of the lab table behind him and a muscle twitched at his chin. He swallowed again.

“Yeah,” he said and closed the distance, “I want.” Slowly he raised his hand, attentively watched by Tony, and placed it beside Tony's. He stood close, very, very close and he could smell Tony, the subtle touch of his expensive after shave, ozone and something he couldn't identify at the moment. And then Tony moved his hand, too, placed it on Bruce's arm and closed the small gap between them, brushed his lips lightly with his own. Bruce smiled into the chaste kiss, put his hand on Tony's waist and cupped his cheek with the other one before he kissed him back, slow at first but when Tony opened his mouth a fraction he leaned into the kiss, carefully touched his lips with his tongue. Someone moaned (Tony?) and Bruce intensified the kiss, felt Tony's hands snake around his torso and press himself close against Bruce, his tongue searching its way into Bruce's mouth and he let him, touched it with his own tongue. And this time he realized it was him who moaned because Jesus H. Christ, this guy could kiss like a pro.

“Wow,” Tony breathed when they broke the kiss after only god knows how long. “I didn't see that coming,” he whispered, still very close to him. 

“I hope I haven't overstepped the mark,” Bruce said but Tony only shook his head, slowly, with a shy smile on his face and that was something Bruce never ever expected to see on Tony's face.

“No, that... I mean... I'd hoped it would happen but... you know,” Tony said, quietly, his body still touched Bruce's and his arms still around his waist. “I've wanted this to happen from the moment I've seen you the first time, Bruce,” he murmured and leaned his forehead against Bruce's.

“I'm relieved to hear that,” Bruce chuckled quietly and when Tony looked up, his brows furrowed, he added, “because I've wanted you, too.” 

“You did?” He asked and seemed relieved. “Because I wasn't sure. You're so... Did anyone ever tell you that you're hot?” Tony asked and Bruce couldn't hold back the small laugh. 

“Yeah, I've heard it every now and then. And I own a mirror, you know? But you're not bad yourself,” he said teasingly and now Tony chuckled as well. Bruce pulled him close into another kiss, a short one this time. 

“So, about this floor you've mentioned...” 

“If you don't want a whole floor you could, maybe, share my floor with me?” Tony asked and Bruce saw him blush again. 

“Yeah, I'd like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> [asamandra on tumblr](http://asamandra.tumblr.com/)


End file.
